Process for producing a gas tight light transmitting optical fiber plate

Abstract

A process for producing a gas tight light transmitting optical fiber plate comprising arranging the optical fibers or bundles of the optical fibers in a die, heating and compressing the optical fibers at a temperature of between the transition point of the glass of the optical fibers and the softening point of the glass of the optical fibers thereby to weld the optical fibers together, and maintaining the welded optical fibers within that temperature range at a pressure higher than the pressure during the heating period which is sufficient to cause the shrinkage of voids by the surface tension of the optical fibers.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for producing a light transmitting plate comprising arranging optical fibers or bundles of optical fibers in a die, heating the optical fibers to a temperature ranging between the transition point of the optical fiber glass and the softening point of the optical fiber glass, welding the heated optical fibers together by applying compression under a reduced pressure, releasing the applied compression after the welding of the optical fibers, and maintaining the welded optical fibers at that temperature range at a pressure higher than the pressure during the heating period which is sufficient to cause the shrinkage of voids by the surface tension of the optical fibers. 
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1, including heating the optical fibers or bundles of optical fibers to a temperature slightly lower than the softening and deformation temperature of the optical fibers and degassing prior to said heating and compressing of the optical fibers at a temperature ranging from said transition point to said softening point.